This disclosure relates to an automation system and, more particularly, to an automation system for deployment in a building.
In multi-room buildings, each room often has devices such as thermostats, light switches, controllers, etc. installed therein. Recently, as it has become possible to provide such devices with high performance micro-processors and networking capabilities and as the Internet of Things (IoT) has become more popular and desired, many buildings have begun upgrading their systems. Thus, hotels, dormitories, senior living facilities, hospitals, office buildings and so on now have systems of high performance and networked electrical devices installed in their respective rooms.
When such networked systems are deployed, the installer needs to configure each device with a system-unique network address so that the data stream originating from each device and arriving at a server external to the device can be properly associated with that device. Also, control commands that are issued external to the device and transported over the network need to be received and processed by the correct device. For example, if a mobile device is used to control the floor lamp in the living room, such command needs to be sent to only the living room floor lamp so that the command can be properly executed.
Configuring the network address for a device typically requires a user interface to initiate the process, an ability to select or set the desired network address and a way to associate the selected address with the device. This is often a manual operation, however, and has several drawbacks. Firstly, there could be human errors whereby an incorrect address is assigned to the device. Secondly, should a device be removed and transported to a different location, possibly even with a different operational purpose, there will be an integrity problem with the configuration. Thirdly, the process relies on trained personal and training cannot always be maintained in environment with high fluctuations. Lastly, the process is hampered if the tools are not available, or not up-to-date or technologically obsolete.